We’ve reached the final week of the preseason, which means that regular-season football is just around the corner. That said, we still have to make it through a few more weeks.
Typically, the final week of the preseason is reserved for players who are fighting for roster spots. Most teams will give their starters the night off, though a few may give their top guys a drive or two.
We have a big day of action lined up on Saturday, including a four-game main slate starting at 7 p.m. ET. Let’s dive into some of the top players to consider at each position.
If you’re new to preseason DFS, there are a few key trends to keep in mind:
1. Defenses & Kickers are Your Friends
In general, scoring in the preseason is lower than it is during the regular season. There are worse quarterbacks getting most of the snaps, which can also lead to more turnovers.
Defense is also the only position that is guaranteed to be on the field for the entire game. It doesn’t matter if the first-, second-, or third-string defenders are out there – they all rack up fantasy points for the defensive unit.
That results in a massive boon for the value of fantasy defenses. Fantasy defenses average just under eight points per game during the preseason, which is nearly two full points more than every other position (per Establish the Run).
Kickers have historically been the third-highest scoring group during the preseason, just slightly behind quarterbacks. You’re going to want exposure to kickers.
2. Target Playing Time Over Talent
This is probably true for regular-season DFS as well, but it’s imperative in the preseason. Finding out how teams plan to distribute their snaps to each position group is the biggest challenge of the preseason. If you can identify which quarterbacks, running backs, and receivers are going to see the most opportunities, you’re halfway towards building a winning lineup.
That’s particularly true early in the preseason. Most teams are going to lean very heavily on the bottom of their depth chart in the Hall of Fame Game and Week 1. Some select starters may see a drive or two, but this is the time when coaches and GMs figure out the bottom of their 53-man roster. Getting to the regular season with their starters healthy is typically more important than shaking off any rust accumulated during the offseason.
If you can find a quarterback who is set to play big snaps, they are an extremely difficult fade in the preseason. They become the best plays on the slate, while running backs have more value than receivers.
3. Tight Ends Don’t Matter
Unless you’re forced to roster a tight end, don’t do it. The position is an absolute dumpster fire during the preseason. You’ll typically see a bunch of players fighting for one spot on the field, and that spot isn’t even particularly valuable. There are exceptions, but on average, tight end is the lowest-scoring position in preseason DFS by a country mile.
With the general strategy out of the way, let’s dive into some specific thoughts for Thursday’s slate.
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NFL DFS Quarterback Picks
Carter Bradley
The 49ers have the top quarterback room to target on Saturday. Brock Purdy is not expected to play, while Mac Jones has already been ruled out. Kurtis Rourke is currently on the PUP list, leaving Bradley and Tanner Mordecai to handle all of the snaps.
Of the two, Bradley has the clear edge. Mordecai was waived after Week 1 of the preseason only to be re-signed on Thursday. While he has some previous knowledge of the system, he’s clearly not someone who is a part of the team’s future plans. He should still get into the game on Saturday, but it probably won’t be until the second half.
That means Bradley should get at least the first half in this outing, and possibly even closer to three quarters. He owns the top projections at the position in our NFL Models. Bradley hasn’t exactly lit up the preseason so far, but he should get plenty of opportunities to shine vs. the Chargers.
Other Options
- Clayton Tune – The Cardinals also have just two QBs who figure to get snaps in Week 3, with Kyler Murray getting the night off once again. Head coach Jonathan Gannon said the playing time would look similar to Week 2, when Tune saw 31 snaps to Jacoby Brissett’s 16. Brissett is an established backup in this league, so he doesn’t need the preseason reps nearly as much as Tune does. He threw the ball 20 times in his last outing, so he has solid volume upside.
- Aidan O’Connell – Geno Smith and the starters are expected to play for the Raiders, but it will likely be just for a series or two. AOC has dominated the rest of the reps at quarterback, playing 77 total snaps compared to 31 for third-stringer Cam Miller. O’Connell will likely get most of the opportunities for the Raiders once again, and he’s averaged 171.5 passing yards with one score through his first two contests.
- Quinn Ewers & Zach Wilson – Tua Tagovailoa played 15 snaps in Week 2, and he should see another couple of drives on Saturday. After that, Ewers and Wilson should split the playing time pretty evenly. Ewers has seen slightly more snaps than Wilson in each of the first two contests, and he had 12.54 DraftKings points in his last outing. He gets a slight edge if picking between the two.
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NFL DFS Running Back Picks
Frank Gore Jr.
The NFL feels better with a “Frank Gore” in the mix at running back. Gore has been a workhorse for the Bills during the preseason, and he could be even busier than usual on Saturday. It remains to be seen if James Cook will make his preseason debut, while Ty Johnson and Ray Davis are the team’s established backups. Both have played sparingly through the first two weeks, and that will likely be the case again on Saturday (if the starters play at all).
After the top three, Gore and Elijah Young are the only other healthy backs on the roster after Darrynton Evans was placed on IR. Young was only added to the roster on Wednesday, so Gore should see most of the work.
Gore has been reliable so far for the Bills. He’s turned 13 carries into 72 yards, good for an average of better than 5.5 yards per carry. However, his receiving work is really what sets him apart. He’s garnered five targets in each contest, which he’s turned into nine receptions for 80 yards. Even more so during the preseason, receiving work gives running backs an extremely stable floor: Gore has had double-digit fantasy points in back-to-back outings despite failing to find the end zone. If he can get into the paint on Saturday, he has the potential to be the top-scoring player of the day.
Other Options
- Ke’Shawn Vaughn & Jeff Wilson Jr. – The 49ers have plenty of RBs on their roster, especially after trading for Brian Robinson on Wednesday. That said, the majority of them won’t play. Christian McCaffrey, Robinson, and Jordan James are all expected to sit, while Corey Kiner recently landed on IR. That leaves Vaughn and Wilson to handle almost all of the opportunities. Both players saw at least 22 snaps in Week 2, and they should be busy once again.
- Bhayshul Tuten – Head coach Liam Cohen indicated that this game will feature “plenty of work” for the young players on the roster, which could include Tuten. He’s been impressive so far during the preseason, racking up 16 carries for 59 yards and two touchdowns while adding three receptions for 22 receiving yards. It’s possible he’s done enough to cement a role during the regular season, but with Travis Etienne and Tank Bigsby still ahead of him on the depth chart, it’s more likely that he gets another chance to shine in Week 3.
- Michael Carter & Emari Demercado – James Conner and Trey Benson are expected to sit once again, leaving Carter and Demercado as the team’s top available RBs. DeeJay Dallas and Zonovan Knight are also still around, but they combined for just six snaps in Week 2. Carter and Demercado each had at least 18, which bodes well for both players since the playing time is expected to be similar.
NFL DFS Wide Receiver Picks
Robbie Chosen
Just like in the backfield, the 49ers are really thin at receiver at the moment. Their top seven guys at the position all look to be unavailable in Week 3, while it’s unclear whether Skyy Moore will be able to make his debut.
Of the remaining options, Chosen looks like the strongest of the bunch. He was busy in Week 2, racking up 33 snaps vs. the Raiders. He responded with seven targets, five catches, and 92 yards, resulting in 14.2 DraftKings points.
Chosen is someone who has had success at the highest level. He was going as Robbie Anderson back then, but he has one season with 941 yards and seven touchdowns and another with more than 1,000 yards on his ledger. Chosen is now on the downside of his career at 32 years old, but he clearly has something left in the tank. He could find success once again against backup defenders.
Terique Owens also stands out for the 49ers in our NFL Models, but he had just 20 snaps in Week 2.
Other Options
- Xavier Weaver – Weaver scored a touchdown in his first preseason outing, and he followed that up by leading the team’s receivers with 30 snaps in Week 2. He only managed to catch one of his three targets in that outing, but he has a solid playing time projection once again on Saturday.
- Tahj Washington, Erik Ezukanma, & Theo Wease – All three guys stand out for the Dolphins on Saturday. Washington has had a solid showing this preseason, racking up nine targets, seven receptions, and 86 yards. Wease popped off in a big way in Week 2, finishing with 26.0 DraftKings points on six receptions, 80 yards, and two touchdowns. Ezukanma is a slot receiver who has had solid preseason production in the past, though he hasn’t quite lived up to that in 2025. Still, PPR receivers are always valuable in the preseason, and that’s the type of player that he profiles as.
- Trenton Irwin – He leads the Jags’ current receivers in snaps this preseason, including 32 in Week 2. He’s tallied eight total targets through two games, resulting in six catches, 69 yards, and a touchdown.
NFL DFS Tight End Picks
Oronde Gadsden
As usual, tight end is really tough to parse on Saturday. However, Gadsden stands out as one of the better bets from a playing time standpoint. He’s racked up at least 24 snaps in each of his first three preseason outings, and he’s run 60 total routes over that stretch. He has just four receptions and seven targets in those outings, but he should at least be on the field quite a bit once again on Saturday.
Other Options
- Josiah Deguara & Travis Vokolek – Both guys saw at least 22 snaps for the Cardinals in Week 2. Vokolek has been slightly more productive, but neither guy has really jumped off the page. Still, they own two of the top three projections at the position in our NFL Models.
- Tanner Conner – In addition to having two first names, Conner has some receiving chops. He put that on display in Week 2, racking up six catches for 48 yards on seven targets. He’s split snaps with some of the other TEs on the roster pretty evenly, but Conner is the guy with the production.
- Jake Tonges – He’s seen 35 snaps in each of the 49ers’ first two outings, and he leads the entire team in routes run. He has just four catches and 47 yards, but he’s another player who should be on the field quite a bit on Saturday.
Pictured: Frank Gore Jr.
Photo Credit: Imagn
